Reach Out For The Sweet Dream
by Amy Fortuna
Summary: After Day 3 of Children of Earth, Jack and Ianto make plans for the next day and spend the night together. Title from the song "Learn My Lesson" by Daughtry.


Ianto curled up on one of the air mattresses he'd bought with the proceeds of their crime spree. Punching a pillow into shape, he looked at Jack, sitting on the couch in front of the fire, alone. Clem was snoring heavily on another mattress across the room. Rhys and Gwen had taken the car and gone off somewhere - they'd agreed that not all of them should stay in the warehouse overnight in case they were found.

Gathering the light blanket around himself, Ianto stood up and made his way to the sofa, sitting down next to Jack, half-facing him. "Hey," he said softly.

"Thought I told you to get some sleep," Jack said, but there was no air of command in his voice.

"You should come sleep with me," Ianto said, sliding a hand behind Jack's neck and through his hair. Jack groaned and dropped his head, letting Ianto massage his neck briefly. Ianto slid forward, putting his other hand on Jack's shoulder, kissing him gently. Jack's eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into the kiss, no haste or urgency, just comfort.

"I don't know what we're going to do," Jack said once Ianto drew back. "We don't have a plan."

"We normally go in, guns blazing," Ianto said. "It seems to work most times."

"There's five - no, three, of us," Jack said. "I can't really count Clem and Rhys."

"You can count Rhys perfectly well," Ianto said, "just don't give him a gun. Have him do something else."

"I'm not taking Gwen into Thames House, it's far too dangerous," Jack said. "I know, I know, Gwen would want to be a part of it, but she's pregnant, Ianto, I can't put her at even more risk than we're already in."

Ianto leaned back on the sofa for a moment, looking into the fire. "Got it," he said, suddenly realising what they had to do.

"Yeah?" Jack said. "We leave Gwen, Rhys, and Clem here, then you and I..."

"Almost," Ianto said. "We leave Gwen and Clem here, monitoring Lois. We send Rhys out with a copy of the recordings."

"We instruct him to release them to the press if they capture Gwen?"

"Exactly," Ianto said.

"Then when Johnson's team gets here, Gwen tries to talk her round," Jack said. "We really haven't tried talking yet. The Doctor likes it."

"Then it's probably a good strategy," Ianto said.

"So we go and talk to the 456, see if we can get them to leave Earth. Maybe threaten them a bit, tell them what will happen if they continue to demand ten percent of the world's children." Jack looked at Ianto and cracked a smile. "This is going to work."

"Why so certain?" Ianto asked. "For plans, it's not our best."

Jack reached out and smoothed a hand over Ianto's hair. "There's nothing about ten percent of Earth's children being taken in the 21st century. We get first alien contact, 2005, then not really much until mid-century."

"First alien contact was recorded in the history books as 2005? What was that?" Ianto said, trying to remember what had happened in 2005.

"Space-pig?" Jack made a face. "I had to negotiate the hell out of Yvonne to get that one handled by Torchwood Three and it turned out to be nothing. The history books just said 'first officially known alien contact' - they didn't say it was a fake."

Ianto nodded. "Tosh told me about that once. Said she met the Doctor, the one in the leather jacket."

"Yeah," Jack said, sighing wistfully.

"Do you miss him?" Ianto said, not missing the sudden longing look that crossed Jack's face. "Why didn't you stay with him, if you did?"

"He was a different man," Jack said softly. "Each one is different. The one I went away with, the one you saw, thought I was a freak. Prejudiced bastard." The words were said with an ironic smile and no real heat. Ianto glanced at the door, thinking he heard a car. When he looked back at Jack, he caught Jack looking at him, an expression he'd rarely seen before, open and longing, but not with lust, more a desire for closeness, more love? Ianto blinked and the expression went away.

"Anyway," Jack said calmly, just as if nothing had happened, "we must win, if the history books don't record the theft of ten percent of the children of the world. If we don't do it, someone will."

"It's our job," Ianto said, covering Jack's hand with his own. "We'll do it."

"That's my Ianto," Jack said with a smile and leaned foward to kiss him. This kiss was long and slow and deep. Ianto felt like he was drowning. "Take me to bed," Jack whispered then, and Ianto put out a hand. Jack took it and together they walked back to Ianto's mattress, in the darkness.

They were both tired, too tired for anything athletic or adventuresome, so they settled down side by side, arms around each other, just kissing softly, for a long time. For all the times they'd had sex, even times the night before going into danger, this time felt different. Ianto could feel the certainty in Jack, the hope that was surging through him, that tomorrow would see the end of this, that the plans the 456 had would never come to pass. Their kisses were unhurried, Jack savouring Ianto like he was the sweetest of fruits, Ianto hooking an ankle around Jack's leg, drawing him close, tingling everywhere they touched.

Every few moments Jack would pause and look at Ianto with that new look on his face, almost as if words were forming on his lips. Then an inexpressible sadness would sweep over his face and he would go back to kissing Ianto. Ianto wanted to say the words Jack was thinking - 'I know you want to say I love you' - see if it would prompt Jack to tell him, but how could he be sure?

Sliding his fingers through Jack's hair, he rolled on top of Jack. They settled together comfortably, erections rubbing deliciously as they kissed and pushed against each other. Ianto could feel himself being swept away, getting closer, could see from the way Jack was biting his lip that he was struggling to keep as quiet as possible, was close to coming himself.

At last it was too much. Ianto bit back a groan and kissed Jack deeply to keep them both quiet. He could feel Jack pulsing against his hip, could feel himself coming against Jack, eyes closed, lost in their kiss. Breathing heavily, he opened his eyes to find Jack panting beneath him, looking at him with that look. "Oh. God, Ianto..." Jack breathed. His lips moved in silent words, and Ianto could clearly see that one of them was 'love'.

Ianto couldn't breathe suddenly. The moment had to break. He put his head down on Jack's shoulder. They lay there together, silent, for a long time, Jack holding him close, a different, almost exalted, look on his face.

Finally Jack moved under Ianto. "We really should get some sleep."

Ianto smiled into Jack's shoulder. "You make a comfy mattress."

Jack smiled back. "Bit sticky."

They settled down together, Jack curled against Ianto, an arm thrown over his waist. Ianto lay on his side, facing Jack, who went straight to sleep. For a long time, Ianto lay awake, watching Jack sleep with a smile on his face. "I love you too," he finally whispered to Jack's sleeping form.


End file.
